The strategies for combating Islamophobia: The case of Turkey

There have been conflicts for various reasons in every period of human history. The conflicts experienced are sometimes shown as political and sometimes economic reasons. However, when we look at the main causes of the conflicts, it is seen that it is mainly due to religious differences. This is especially true in Western civilization. Conflict between East and West still continues today. Especially the attacks against Islam and Muslims have revealed different concepts and approaches. In this study, which investigates Islamophobia and anti-Islamism in Western countries, it reveals how Islamophobia has changed in historical time, with which political developments it has changed, as well as the effect of recent attacks by terrorist organizations with Islamic discourse on Islamophobia. In addition, the evolution of Islamophobia to Anti-Islamism and some events that triggered it were mentioned. The research also aims to explain the strategies followed by Turkey in the fight against Islamophobia. The research was carried out in domestic libraries and national/international virtual environments, and the data obtained were collected and evaluated. In addition, the relevant information, articles and theses in the national thesis data center were scanned and the information supporting the research was used. The issue of why Islam is defined today, why it is defined in this way, what kind of reasons underlie othering and insecurity, has been tried to be clarified with a critical method. In this regard, some terrorist attacks in Europe were mentioned, and the approaches of some European states towards Islam and Muslims were also mentioned. As a result of the evaluations, it is seen that Islamophobia is caused by some fears from the past, and it is revealed that the current situation is revealed as a result of acting with emotions from the past. In the study, the reasons for the emergence of Islamophobia and ideas about how to fight with its causes were put forward, and what should be done to eliminate Islamophobia as a problem was also mentioned.